Flight Safety Information
May 16, 2017 - No. 098
Incident: Helvetic F100 at Zurich on May 14th 2017, rejected takeoff due to disagreeing airspeed
Incident: Jet2.com B752 at Leeds on May 15th 2017, rejected takeoff due to engine fire
indication
Learjet 35A Impacted Ground on Approach
British authorities detain PIA flight crew, search aircraft at London airport
Edmonton airport uses falcon drones to keep birds away from aircraft
U.N. Aviation Agency Wants a Global Approach to the Ban on Laptops in Airplane Cabins
FAA defends response to Allegiant 2015 rudder jam
Pilot tells of moment 'psycho' flight computer made plane nosedive 1,000 feet
Epic Aircraft E1000 Flying Toward FAA Certification
Australia considers aircraft laptop ban
FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HALL OF FAME CELEBRATES 20 YEARS
Brace for Chaos If U.S. Expands Airline Laptop Ban
Motor Sich, China's Skyrizon could build aircraft engine plant in China
US Air Force removes weight restrictions on F-35A pilots
Boeing picks St. Louis for potential jet plant
Aviation technologies to offer online bachelor's degree
Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Nominations Invited
Research Survey
Graduate Research Survey
Incident: Helvetic F100 at Zurich on May 14th 2017, rejected takeoff due to disagreeing
airspeed
A Helvetic Airways Fokker 100 on behalf of Swiss, registration HB-JVH performing flight LX-788 from Zurich (Switzerland) to
Brussels (Belgium), was accelerating for takeoff from Zurich's runway 28 when the crew rejected takeoff at 80 knots over ground
reporting they had no airspeed on the first officer's side. The aircraft slowed safely and returned to the apron.
A replacement Embraer ERJ-190 registration HB-JVQ reached Brussels with a delay of 110 minutes.
The occurrence aircraft had rejected takeoff for the same reason about 11.5 hours earlier already, see Incident: Helvetic F100 at
Zurich on May 14th 2017, rejected takeoff due to disagreeing airspeed, and returned to service about 12.5 hours later.
http://avherald.com/h?article=4a9045ab&opt=0
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Incident: Jet2.com B752 at Leeds on May 15th 2017, rejected takeoff due to engine fire
indication
A Jet2.com Boeing 757-200, registration G-LSAB performing flight LS-271 from Leeds,EN (UK) to Alicante,SP (Spain), was
accelerating for takeoff from Leeds' runway 14 when the crew rejected takeoff at low speed (about 40 knots over ground) reporting an
engine (RB211) fire indication, slowed safely, shut the engine down and discharged a fire bottle. Emergency services checked the
aircraft with no findings and followed the aircraft to the apron.
The airline reported the crew received a technical fault indication.
A replacement Boeing 737-300 registration G-GDFM reached Alicante with a delay of 2.5 hours.
The occurrence aircraft is still on the ground 14 hours after the rejected takeoff.
http://avherald.com/h?article=4a904783&opt=0
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Learjet 35A Impacted Ground on Approach
Status:
Preliminary
Date:
Monday 15 May 2017
Time:
ca 15:30
Type:
Learjet 35A
Operator:
A&C Big Sky Aviation LLC
Registration:
N452DA
C/n / msn:
35A-452
First flight:
1981
Crew:
Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:
Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:
Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Airplane damage:
Destroyed
Airplane fate:
Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:
1 km (0.6 mls) S of Teterboro Airport, NJ (TEB) ( United States of America)
Phase:
Approach (APR)
Nature:
Unknown
Departure airport:
Philadelphia International Airport, PA (PHL/KPHL), United States of America
Destination airport:
Teterboro Airport, NJ (TEB/KTEB), United States of America
Narrative:
An Learjet 35A corporate jet crashed and burst into flames while on approach runway 01 to Teterboro
Airport, New Jersey, USA, according to the FAA.
The airplane impacted the ground in an industrial area between Kero Road and Commerce Road in
Carlstadt, New Jersey, 1000 m short of runway 01. A fire erupted and consumed the aircraft. Both crew
members have died in the accident.
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20170515-1
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British authorities detain PIA flight crew, search aircraft at London airport
A flight crew of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was detained by British authorities after landing at
London's Heathrow Airport yesterday.
PIA's spokesperson said that the authorities searched the aircraft for over 2 hours.
The Flight PK-785 from Islamabad to London arrived at Heathrow Airport at 2:50pm yesterday.
Upon landing, as passengers disembarked, the flight crew and aircraft were searched by authorities, the
spokesperson said. The 14 crew members were released after being detained for nearly two hours, he
added.
However, the reason as to why the crew was detained is not yet known. However, nothing was found on
the plane during investigation and they plan to take up the case with authorities concerned.
http://nation.com.pk/national/16-May-2017/british-authorities-detain-pia-flight-crew-search-aircraft-at-
london-airport
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Edmonton airport uses falcon drones to keep birds away from aircraft
Edmonton International Airport is employing a 21st century solution to the problem of keeping birds away
from aircraft - drones.
Atlas Obscura reports that a company called Clear Flight Solutions has created "Robirds" drones. These are
being used in Edmonton in place of more traditional methods of scaring birds away from runways, which
have included everything from setting off fireworks to employing snipers. The Robird is not only the size
and shape of a falcon - a feared predator of other birds - but it also flaps its wings to fly, giving the drone
a particularly life-like appearance.
The company offers two types of Robirds: a peregrine falcon model to scare off smaller birds, and an eagle
model designed to deter birds of any size. "When a predator is introduced in an ecosystem, the system will
adapt to the new circumstances," according to Clear Flight Solutions. "Birds will learn to avoid the active
hunting grounds of a bird of prey, with bird numbers dropping by as much as 50 per cent or more,
depending on the location and surroundings. Because the Robirds trigger the instinct of birds, there are no
chances of habituation in the long term."
With their wide open spaces, and locations often in coastal areas, airports are attractive habitats for birds.
Bird strikes are among the biggest hazards in aviation, causing damage to aircraft and, sometimes,
crashes. The emergency landing of US Airways flight 1549 in the Hudson River in 2009, for example,
resulted from Canada Geese being sucked into the A320's engines upon takeoff from New York's LaGuardia
Airport.
Edmonton officials said the drones will fly near, but never over, airport runways.
https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2017/05/16/edmonton-airport-uses-falcon-drones-
keep-birds-away-aircraft/
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U.N. Aviation Agency Wants a Global Approach to the Ban on Laptops in Airplane Cabins
A United Nations agency has launched an effort to craft global guidance for the use of laptop s and other
portable electronics in passenger aircraft cabins after selective bans by the United States and Britain upset
airline passengers as well as Middle Eastern carriers.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) met on Tuesday to debate the issue after the United
Arab Emirates, Egypt and other co un tries complained their airlines had been un duly penalized by the
decision to relegate laptop s to the cargo hold on some flights due to security concerns, three sources
familiar with the matter said.
But while ICAO aims to come up with global recommendations to counter the risk from hidden explosives
in laptop s, the agency cannot override or prevent national measures such as the U.S. and U.K. ban s, said
one of the aviation industry sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the talks are private.
In March, the U.S. announced laptop restrictions on flights originating from 10 airports in co un tries
including the UAE., Qatar and Turkey. Britain quickly followed suit with restrictions on a slightly different
set of routes.
An ICAO working paper seen by Reuters threw its weight behind concerns that laptop s are a greater
security risk in the passenger cabin than in the hold, because of the threat that hidden explosives could be
detonated manually.
"The threat to aircraft from concealed improvised explosive devices has been the greatest security risk to
commercial aircraft for some years," it warned.
But ICAO has also asked its experts to weigh this against the safety risk of storing a larger number of
flammable batteries un attended in a commercial aircraft's baggage compartment.
European regulators have warned placing what could be hundreds of devices in the hold on long-haul
flights could compromise safety by increasing the risk of fire from poorly deactivated lithium-ion batteries.
Patrick Ky, the head of the European Aviation Safety Agency told Reuters that it wants airlines to be
careful about how they store laptop s by avoiding placing them in a single container, for example.
ICAO's aviation security panel is expected to make recommendations by mid-J un e, an ICAO spokesman
said.
ICAO, which is headquartered in Montreal, does not impose binding rules, but wields clout through safety
and security standards that are usually followed by its 191-member countries.
ICAO has been asked "to identify a possible global approach to mitigate the security risk associated with
large portable electronic devices," according to the paper.
Some co un tries, such as Australia, are introducing new security checks, but not ban s, on flights from
specific Middle East co un tries to combat the risk of hidden bombs.
During an informal ICAO briefing in April, some countries including the UAE complained that the ban risks
creating "market distortions," the three sources said.
The ban is seen as a problem for fast-growing Gulf airlines serving business-class passengers, who want to
work on their laptop s on flights out of key hubs like Dubai and Doha.
But aviation and security sources have largely dismissed reports that the partial ban s are a form of
protectionism against the Gulf carriers, saying they are based on concrete security concerns.U.A.E.
regulators could not be reached for comment.
http://fortune.com/2017/05/10/un-aviation-laptop-flight-ban/
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FAA defends response to Allegiant 2015 rudder jam
A Federal Aviation Administration investigator had recommended the "maximum" sanction against AAR
following the 2015 jam of an elevator on an Allegiant Air McDonnell Douglas MD-83, according to a
recently-publicised FAA report.
The FAA, however, ultimately decided against that recommendation, choosing instead to issue AAR a
"letter of correction".
The agency still insists it took the right course of action - a course agreed upon after thorough review by
multiple staffers, and a course that ensured Allegiant "took appropriate steps to correct the root cause of
the incident", says the FAA in a statement.
Likewise, MRO provider AAR says it made several changes following the letter of correction.
But the newly-released FAA report, made public by the Tampa Bay Times, shows the significant degree to
which the inspector deemed sanctions to be warranted against AAR, a company the inspector describes as
having a "culture of disregard".
"I recommend maximum sanction be imposed for each FAR violation identified, in addition I recommend
that a sanction be added for each of the 216 flights that were flown in violation," says a report written by
FAA inspector Carlos Flores.
"It is simply fortuitous to the airline passengers and crew aboard the 216 subsequent Allegiant Air revenue
flights that the nut did not fall off the rod end in flight," he adds.
Flores was the investigator into the 17 August 2015 aborted takeoff from Las Vegas of an Allegiant MD-83
(registration N407NV).
The pilots aborted takeoff after the aircraft's nose rotated prematurely. The nose remained high even
though the pilots' pushed the yoke forward, the report notes. The aircraft safely came to a stop.
The FAA said in 2015 that a missing nut on a component that moves the elevator had come off, causing
the elevator to jam.
"Had the nut fallen off while the aircraft was actually flying, or had the crew not aborted the takeoff, the
maintenance and inspection complacent actions performed by AAR... would have resulted in an aircraft
flying without the ability to control its pitch attitude," says Flores' report.
Prior to the incident, MRO shop AAR had serviced the elevator, transferring the bolt to a new boost
cylinder, and installing that cylinder on the aircraft on 23 May 2015, according to Flores' report.
Evidence indicates the nut was not properly torqued and that technicians failed to install a cotter pin
designed to keep the nut from coming loose, Flores writes.
Flores' report alleges that AAR employees failed to make required entries on maintenance forms, indicating
"required inspection items... were also not inspected".
"The action of AAR... personnel borders on careless (and possibly reckless) conduct," writes Flores.
"I believe there is a culture of disregard based on the inadequate managerial oversight," Flores says of
AAR.
Allegiant operated the aircraft on several hundred flights before the bolt came off, causing the aborted
takeoff on 17 August 2015, says the report
The company did not respond to a request for comment.
The FAA's Flores also alleges shortcomings by Allegiant, writing that the company "should also have been
able to identify the maintenance error by providing more oversight".
The FAA, having reviewed Flores' report, determined not to fine the carrier but to issue a "letter of
correction" - a reflection of the agency's "new compliance philosophy".
In 2015 the agency introduced its "compliance philosophy" as a means to encourage airline-government
collaboration and "self-disclosure" by airlines of errors, says the FAA's website. Core to the change has
been emphasis on using "non-enforcement" measures to ensure companies address problems.
The FAA's 15 May statement says safety oversight is its "most-important mission", adding that inspectors
who discover a regulatory violations aim to correct the violation and "put in place the best strategy to
ensure lasting compliance".
The agency also says the letter of correct was the right response.
Following the rejected takeoff in 2015, AAR took several corrective actions, the FAA notes.
The company conducted immediate safety meetings to ensure all staff were aware of what occurred,
required a third inspector to review all work performed on flight controls, landing gear and engines, and
ensuring work orders receive a third inspection, says the FAA.
In addition, AAR, revised "software to allow personnel to work on flight-critical tasks only after they have
completed required training", says the FAA.
"Inspectors and managers from several offices in the FAA safety oversight division carefully reviewed all of
these actions and agreed that AAR... took appropriate steps to correct the root cause of the incident," says
the FAA.
It adds that Allegiant has increased the number of company inspectors at AAR's facility from two to at
least eight, and as many as 12.
"Furthermore, as part of the FAA's wide-ranging review of Allegiant's operations in the spring of 2016, FAA
inspectors thoroughly scrutinised AAR's policies and procedures to ensure that the repair station was
continuing to comply with the regulations," says the FAA.
AAR says it worked closely with the FAA to address issues, citing many of the changes highlighted by the
FAA.
"We work tirelessly to improve" safety, says AAR.
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/faa-defends-response-to-allegiant-2015-rudder-jam-437238/
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Pilot tells of moment 'psycho' flight computer made plane nosedive 1,000 feet
Sullivan's Airbus A330 on the tarmac at Learmouth after its emergency landing
A pilot who saved the lives of more than 300 people by averting the crash of his passenger jet has broken
his silence after nine years, describing how the aircraft's computer "went psycho" plunging the plane
hundreds of feet in seconds.
Captain Kevin Sullivan was in charge of Qantas Flight 72, from Singapore to Perth, when the Airbus A330's
auto-pilot malfunctioned twice, first dropping the aircraft 690 feet in 23 seconds, and again sending it 400
feet in 15 seconds, causing more than 100 injuries to passengers.
Sullivan was flying a Qantas Airbus A330 when its computer malfunctioned
On that day in October 2008, Sullivan was forced to declare mayday and make an emergency landing at
Learmouth Airport in Western Australia, gripped with the fear that the plane might nosedive again.
"It's the worst thing that can happen when you are in an aeroplane - when you are not in control," he told
Good Weekend, part of the Sydney Morning Herald.
"And you have a choice. You can either succumb to that or you fight it. I was fighting that outcome and I
have been ever since."
Flight 72, carrying 303 passengers and 12 crew, had been cruising at 37,000 feet above the Indian Ocean
when one of the plane's three flight control primary computers - which pilots know as Prims - developed a
fault and warnings of both stall and over-speed began ringing around the flight deck. Moments later the
A330's nose pitched down violently, sending chaos through the cabin.
It's not their intention to build an aeroplane that is going to go completely haywire and try and kill you
Kevin Sullivan
Sullivan, a former US Navy pilot, said he asked himself "Is my life going to end here today?" before
managing to pull the plane level again using the control stick.
"We're in an out-of-control aeroplane, we're all juiced up by our own bodies because, we thought, we are
in a near-death situation, and we've got to be rocket scientists to figure out how we can go in there and
land the plane outside of any established procedures," he said.
Sullivan says the experience, which left him with post-traumatic stress disorder, raises questions about the
increased automation of flying.
"We were never given any hint during our conversion course to fly this aeroplane that this could happen,"
he said. "And even, I think the manufacturer felt this could never happen. It's not their intention to build
an aeroplane that is going to go completely haywire and try and kill you."
The flight deck of an Airbus A330 as seen in a simulator
"Even though these planes are super-safe and they're so easy to fly, when they fail they are presenting
pilots with situations that are confusing and potentially outside their realms to recover," he told the
Sydney Morning Herald. "For pilots - to me - it's leading you down the garden path to say 'You don't need
to know how to fly anymore'. You just sit there - until things go wrong."
Sullivan, an American who moved to Australia for what was meant to be a three-year stint but stayed after
marrying an Australian, kept working for Qantas for eight years, remaining quiet on the incident, until last
year when he left the airline.
It was just 50 minutes after the plane's first nose-dive that Sullivan and his two co-pilots had the plane on
the tarmac at Learmouth Airport, where they were met by emergency services.
Three years later, a report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau found that incorrect data sent to one
of the aircraft's computers had caused the nose-dives as the plane sought to correct perceived errors that
did not actually exist.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/kevin-sullivan-qantas-flight-72-computer-failutre/
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Epic Aircraft E1000 Flying Toward FAA Certification
In the high-elevation, dry-climate environment of Bend, Ore., technicians are busy putting the final
touches on parts cured in freshly made tooling and finalizing processes to begin serial production of the
Epic Aircraft E1000, a certified version of the Epic LT experimental-amateur-built high-performance single-
engine, all-composite turboprop.
Transitioning an aircraft manufacturing program from making kits and assisting customers through
completion to producing new airplanes for retail sale is an ambitious project, but the Russia-based owners
of Epic have made the necessary investment to see the E1000 through certification and into production,
according to Mike Schrader, head of sales and marketing. In 2012, he said, the owners opted to stop
taking orders for kits and re-orient the company toward FAA certification. More than 50 kits were built, and
the final two experimental versions are about to fly away from Bend.
Deposits for the E1000 are one percent of the $2.95 million price, and they are fully refundable. By the
time inflation indexes are taken into account, the typical price will be about $3 million, he explained. Epic
Aircraft currently has orders and deposits for 73 E1000s.
Epic is working with the FAA's Seattle Aircraft Certification Office, which has gained significant composites
experience, having worked with Boeing on the 787 program. The FAA helped Epic by adding resources to
help keep the E1000 project on track. "They've been really good to work with," Schrader said.
The Bend region has also long been a center of aerospace composites expertise and manufacturing. Epic's
facilities formerly housed Columbia Aircraft, manufacturer of the all-composite Columbia 400 piston single,
which eventually became the Cessna TTx following Cessna's purchase of Columbia's assets.
Much of the testing of design-conforming parts for the E1000 is complete, including the wings and control
surfaces, with some fuselage tests remaining. The target for certification is October or November, and
once production certification is achieved-as close as possible to type certification, the company hopes-the
goal is a production rate of 50 per year, Schrader added.
Prototype FT1 was busy logging flight time during AIN's visit to the Epic factory in April. FT2 was in the
final assembly stage and will be fitted with a fully conforming interior.
IN-HOUSE COMPOSITES MANUFACTURING
For a small manufacturing company, Epic Aircraft is surprisingly vertically integrated. Its 200 employees
do all composites manufacturing in Bend, build the steel engine mount, weave wiring harnesses and
manufacture the interior, except for seats, which are provided by Wichita-based Millennium.
The composites manufacturing technique is similar to that employed by Cirrus Aircraft, which has achieved
relatively high-volume manufacturing of the single-engine SR series and is ramping up the assembly line
of the recently certified Vision single-engine jet.
After resin-infused pre-preg carbon-fiber is cut to the right shape, technicians lay the material inside and
on carefully shaped tooling fixtures. A fuselage-half fixture, for example, looks like a giant bathtub, into
which swatches of material are placed at points outlined by a highly accurate laser alignment system.
Once all the material is laid out, vacuum bagging shrouds are placed over the carbon-fiber, and by sucking
the air out of the bags, the carbon-fiber is held tightly inside the tooling while curing in a giant oven.
Even the wing's spars are built this way, but they undergo another step: pressure removal of excess resin
using a tool custom-built by Epic technicians. The tool looks like a special wringer, and it rolls along and
squeezes on the carbon-fiber spar to remove the excess resin, maximizing strength while minimizing
excess weight. The spar is one single piece from wingtip to wingtip.
All components are monitored via computer stations positioned along the assembly line. Raw composite
materials must be carefully inventoried and monitored, to make sure they aren't left out of cold-storage
for too long. And an excess part of each composite component-a test coupon-is subjected to testing to
ensure the component meets all the applicable standards.
Manufacturing of composite components for the production line has already begun, for those items that
have already passed certification testing.
Composites manufacturing is a complex process, but the benefits are clear for an airplane such as the
E1000. There are far fewer parts needed to put the E1000 together. Metal wings, for example, would need
thousands of rivets, whereas the composite wing consists of front and rear spars, ribs and top and bottom
skins joined without fasteners. Where the de-ice boots are glued on to the leading edge, instead of just
building a smooth round shape and attaching the boot, the E1000 has a joggle on the top and bottom of
the leading edge. This slight discontinuity neatly allows the boot's edge to mate flush with the wing skin,
making for a much more aerodynamically smooth installation.
The E1000's (and Epic LE's) aileron controls are unique, in that cables run all the way to the wingtip,
driving a bellcrank and a pushrod attached to the outboard end of the flight control. This design maximizes
fuel volume inside the wing, contributing to the airplane's long range. The design also simplifies
maintenance, because the bellcrank mounted at the tip of the wing is easily accessible after the wingtip
has been removed.
The E1000 does have some design changes from the kit Epic LE, including a wing redesign that came
somewhat late in the program and caused a delay. Engineers at engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney
Canada recommended a redesign of the cowling's air intake, widening the mouth and moving it closer to
the propeller, and this improved intake efficiency by about 20 percent, Schrader said. The engine is a
P&WC PT6-67A thermodynamically rated at 1,800 shp, flat-rated to 1,200 shp, driving a four-blade
Hartzell propeller.
The E1000 features a three-screen Garmin G1000 NXi flight deck and a Genesys Aerosystems S-Tec
IntelliFlight 2100 digital autopilot. Radar, Iridium transceiver and radar altimeter will be optional.
The cockpit is spacious and comfortable, with an interesting feature not found in other airplanes: a kidney
panel above the primary flight display is home to the angle-of-attack indicator, flaps indicator and warning
lights, putting them directly in the pilot's view. Twin USB ports are mounted on the left and right forward
sidewalls. Switches are ergonomically designed to match the checklist flow. An automatic tank-sequencing
fuel selector simplifies fuel management, similar to the system on the Daher TBM turboprop. "We spent
eight months making a clay model of the cockpit," Schrader said, before nailing down the design.
Epic Aircraft is holding off on revealing final performance numbers until closer to certification, but the kit
Epic LE has flown 338 ktas at 28,000 feet, and Epic promises better than 325 ktas for the E1000. Schrader
said that kit owners generally plan block speeds of 300 knots burning 60 gph, and this will be the same in
the E1000. Range with a full-fuel payload of 1,100 pounds will be 1,650 nm. Maximum altitude is 34,000
feet.
For a pilot moving up from a smaller airplane, Schrader said, the Epic E1000 "is the last step. There is no
need to buy a jet."
https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-05-16/epic-aircraft-e1000-flying-
toward-faa-certification
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Australia considers aircraft laptop ban
Australia is mulling the consequences of banning laptops on inbound commercial passenger flights, amid
global concerns about a new terrorist threat.
Qantas aircraft at Adelaide Airport.
The UK and US have already banned the carrying of large electronic devices in cabins on flights arriving
from certain Middle East and African countries.
"The government is aware of the changes that have been made and, you know, we are looking at it very
closely," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said in Adelaide today.
The Federal Government is considering information and advice "we are receiving internationally and
working very closely with our partners".
US agencies preparing plans to expand the ban to other countries with conflict zones, according to
Reuters.
This follows fresh intelligence militant groups like Islamic State could be gearing up for a terrorist attack
involving bombs in laptops.
http://indaily.com.au/news/2017/05/16/australia-considers-aircraft-laptop-ban/
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FLIGHT INSTRUCTOR HALL OF FAME CELEBRATES 20 YEARS
TRAVELING TROPHY IS 'STANLEY CUP OF AVIATION'
Aviation enthusiasts and members of the public alike are encouraged to nominate their favorite flight
instructor to the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame's twentieth anniversary class of 2017. The honor is a unique
opportunity for unsung training heroes because "anyone can nominate themselves or anyone else," said
John Niehaus, the National Association of Flight Instructors (NAFI) program director, who stressed that
membership in the instructor's association was not a required prerequisite.
Nominations are open for the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame.
Niehaus explained that the program is managed and supported by NAFI but emphasized that the
association shows "no bias in selection whether it's our own members or not. If you are a NAFI member it
does not give you a leg up" for nominations, which have been extended until June 12.
Are you prepare for 3rd Class Medical Reform? We can help. Join AOPA today! Niehaus added that "it does
require 20 years of service for a CFI to be considered" for the Kalamazoo, Michigan-based hall. He
explained that the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame is modeled after a similar Experimental Aircraft
Association (EAA) program because the two associations were closely linked for a number of years.
Finalists will be chosen by July 1 with inductees to be announced at the annual NAFI member's breakfast
July 27 during EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
The hall is "kind of a who's who when it comes to flight instructors," added Niehaus, rattling off a handful
of names familiar to many aviators.
Thomas Turner, director of the American Beechcraft Society's safety program, and Frederick Nauer, who
helped train FAA air safety inspectors in glass cockpit technology, were co-inductees in 2015. Rudy Frasca,
who founded the flight simulator company bearing his name, brought home the traveling wooden trophy in
2012. Hal Shevers, the driving force behind Sporty's Pilot Shop, shared the trophy awarded posthumously
to Wolfgang Langewiesche, author of the aviation skills manual Stick and Rudder, in 2007.
Sometimes the inductees know ahead of time that they've been chosen for the next Hall of Fame class,
and sometimes it's a complete surprise. "In 2015, we inducted the Bonanza Society's Tom [Turner] along
with Fred [Nauer]. Tom knew it was coming but Fred didn't. Tom is a wonderful guy and has been a
mentor for me so it was really cool to be part of the induction."
Nauer, a science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) advocate, was nominated by Cirrus
around-the-world pilot Judy Rice, an educator who founded the Think Global Flight program to inspire
future aerospace awareness. She had relied on Nauer's navigation expertise for her transcontinental
journey.
The award itself consists of three different pieces, said Niehaus-a large wooden stand with an outstretched
wing engraved each year with the names of new inductees, a smaller acrylic replication, and a wall
hanging.
Inductees can display the main piece in any way they choose, similar to the National Hockey League's
Stanley Cup. Although the Stanley Cup has served as the vessel of choice for chugging beer and
champagne, winners of the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame trophy "can't really drink out of it," said Niehaus,
because the trophy isn't designed to hold chilled adult beverages, but that's about the only limitation.
"For the year they have it, they are free to do anything they want with it. I'm pretty sure Fred [Nauer,
Class of 2015] had it displayed at a local restaurant that he was friendly with. Just prior to the yearly
celebration we get the trophy back to prepare it for the next Hall of Famer."
Niehaus encouraged aviation enthusiasts to think about which instructors have made the most impact on
their life or someone else's. "All we ask is to tell us a little about the nominee, their accomplishments, and
the things they've done."
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2017/may/09/flight-instructor-hall-of-fame-celebrates-
20-years
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Brace for Chaos If U.S. Expands Airline Laptop Ban
Some warn an "overboard" risk assessment by the Trump administration risks a business community
uproar.
European Airlines Prep for Wider Trump Laptop Ban
Bring a book.
The trans-Atlantic flight could soon become a gadget-free zone if U.S. officials press forward with a
security ban on laptop computers and other larger electronic devices on airline flights from Europe.
Carriers are bracing for operational chaos at European airports after the Department of Homeland Security
said last week it might expand to Europe a ban imposed in March on U.S.-bound flights from 10 Middle
Eastern airports. The new security protocol could mean longer security lines, heightened delays, boarding
gate confusion, and yet more hassles for fliers.
"I think it's going to be extremely chaotic," said Rich Roth, executive director of CTI Consulting, a security
firm that focuses on aviation. He predicts that airlines, airports, and European officials will press the DHS
to review its analysis of the trans-Atlantic threat, hoping for a more lenient strategy than the currently
envisioned ban.
"I think they went a little bit overboard in their risk assessment," said Roth. 1
Corporations and their travel managers are up in arms about the proposed electronics ban, said Greg Raiff,
chief executive of New Hampshire-based charter operator Private Jet Services.
"Picture a technology firm moving employees from Europe to the U.S and telling the developers in those
firms they can't use laptops on airplanes," Raiff said. "I think you're looking at a substantial uproar from
the business community over this."
"Business travelers would be far more willing to accept a far more rigorous screening at the airport."
While companies won't abandon trans-Atlantic trips, an electronics ban may dampen corporate travel when
combined with other recent regulations that have made traveling more onerous, said Michael McCormick,
executive director of the Global Business Travel Association. When faced with having to part with their
computers-potentially putting sensitive corporate information at risk-some companies may tell employees
to leave their computers at home.
"I think business travelers would be far more willing to accept a far more rigorous screening at the airport,
rather than having to part with their tools when they travel," McCormick said.
The threat of laptop loss-be it theft, damage, or misplacement as checked luggage-is likely to make some
companies consider whether some meetings can be conducted via Skype or other virtual methods, said
Andrew Coggins, a management professor at Pace University's Lubin School of Business. "People don't
want to let their laptops go," he said.
That may be bad news for airlines who count heavily on business travel for profitability.
This prospect, and the possibility of summer airport havoc, mobilized airlines last week to try to minimize
the impact of any broader ban. It also prompted European Union officials to invite their U.S. counterparts
to Brussels this week for a meeting about the underlying security threat of laptop-borne explosives being
used by the Trump administration and others to justify it. EU officials told U.S. Homeland Security
Secretary John Kelly on Friday that any terror threats affect both continents and require a coordinated
response.
David Lapan, a spokesman for DHS, said in an email that "as no decision has been made, it is premature
to discuss what additional restrictions might, or might not, be."
The U.K. has imposed a similar ban, but on fewer airports. Canadian officials don't ban cabin electronics on
flights to Canada. The nation's aviation regulator, Transport Canada, isn't considering any new aviation
security measures, agency spokeswoman Marie-Anyk Côté said.
The current U.S. approach on the proposal-flights to America pose a threat but not the reverse-implies
that the Trump administration considers U.S. airport security superior to that of European or Middle
Eastern nations. While security coordination between U.S. and European officials could lead to a policy
affecting all trans-Atlantic flights, another outcome might be a unilateral U.S. electronics ban followed by
the same EU decision affecting flights from America.
Either way, U.S. carriers and airports are grappling with how to comply with an expanded ban. The
questions are myriad:
Would airlines require passengers to pack the devices in their checked luggage for storage in the cargo
hold?
Would it be easier to collect such devices at airport gates and then load them into a single container in the
cargo? How would individual laptop and other devices be tracked and returned to their owners?
How would connecting passengers relinquish their devices in Europe, say, if they are traveling from Accra
to Atlanta via Amsterdam, and using a laptop on the first flight but not the second?
Are U.S. airports equipped to handle additional screening volumes given that they already screen incoming
international baggage, plus connecting bags?
Would travelers' bags be delayed upon arrival from Europe? If so, by how long?
And if answering those questions isn't enough to generate a migraine, an expanded ban raises a well-
documented safety risk that probably will.
Flying mountains of electronic devices with lithium-ion batteries in airline cargo holds presents a risk of
fire. FedEx Corp. and United Parcel Service Inc. forbid large commercial shipments of these batteries after
in-flight combustion caused two jumbo jets to crash in 2010 and 2011.
Last year, the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization prohibited cargo shipments of lithium-ion
batteries aboard passenger aircraft. Pilots unions and others had pressed for the ban, given the fires, and
some have questioned whether even smaller consumer devices powered by the same batteries should also
be allowed in checked luggage.
"A Hobson's choice, for sure."
Smelling smoke and fighting fires in the cabin is easier than finding one in the airplane cargo hold, and any
U.S. decision on expanding the laptop ban should consider the battery implications, said Robert Mann, an
aviation consultant in New York and a former executive at four U.S. airlines.
"Given passengers cannot be presumed to know how to properly pack spare and in-use batteries and
devices, this proposed order has very serious safety implications for EVERY flight on which it is imposed,"
he wrote in an email.
In terms of reducing airport hassles, airlines have raised at least two ideas with U.S. officials: Performing
explosives trace detection on every item brought into the airline cabin and installing smaller CT scanners
at some airport gates. This type of scan is used on checked luggage but not at passenger checkpoints.
"Airlines may wish they didn't suggest those measures" given the technology cost, processing times, and
the likelihood of more missed connections and late departures, Mann said. "A Hobson's choice, for sure."
A device would need to contain at least eight ounces of explosive material to cause damage, and newer
airline designs can withstand the impacts of as much as 1 pound, said Roth, a former U.S. Secret Service
agent. Larger laptops could accommodate that much material but most smaller tablets and smartphones
cannot, he said.
"I just don't know where they're coming from in the risk assessment of something as small as an iPad,"
Roth said. "It ain't going to do much."
U.S. airlines are resigned that a broadened ban on electronics will occur at some point, one industry official
told Bloomberg News on Friday. The person wasn't authorized to speak about the airlines' talks with
government and asked not to be identified.
Yet if airports see operational chaos, passengers shriek on both continents, and airlines suffer huge costs-
especially during the peak summer travel season-it's unclear whether such a ban would endure.
"My opinion is [DHS] may pull the trigger and make it happen but it won't last for more than a week,"
Roth said. The reason? "Blowback."
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-05-15/brace-for-chaos-if-u-s-expands-airline-laptop-ban
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Motor Sich, China's Skyrizon could build aircraft engine plant in China
China's Skyrizon and Ukraine's Motor Sich are planning to build a plant in Chongqing (the central part of
China) at which they will produce and service aircraft engines under Ukrainian technologies, First Deputy
Prime Minister of Ukraine Stepan Kubiv has said.
"The company plans to invest $250 million in upgrading the Ukrainian production and design facilities of
Motor Sich," he wrote on his Facebook page following a visit to China.
PJSC Motor Sich is one of the world's largest manufacturers of aircraft engines, as well as industrial gas
turbines. It delivers products to more than 100 countries.
In January-March 2017 the consolidated net profit of Motor Sich, in accordance with IFRS, amounted to
UAH 1.457 billion, which is 4.8 times more than in the same period in 2016 (UAH 304.67 million), net
income grew by 63.4%, to UAH 3.431 billion.
http://en.interfax.com.ua/news/economic/421767.html
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US Air Force removes weight restrictions on F-35A pilots
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Air Force has lifted flight restrictions on lightweight F-35A pilots and will not
pursue qualifying United Technologies' ACES 5 ejection seat - a major win for Martin-Baker and its US16E
pilot escape system, which is used in all variants of the F-35, officials announced Monday.
The service made the decision to remove flight restrictions on May 15 following the development and
testing of fixes to the US16E ejection seat - including new settings for lightweight pilots and a head
support panel - and changes to the Rockwell Collins-made helmet to reduce its weight, said Brig. Gen.
Scott Pleus, director of the Air Force's F-35 integration office.
No pilots under 136 pounds have moved through the F-35A training pipeline since 2015, when testing
showed unacceptable levels of risk of head or neck injury for lightweight pilots.
"Combined, these changes reduce the risk to lightweight pilots in both high- and low-speed ejections and
make the F-35 ejection safest one of the safest in our entire inventory," Pleus told reporters, adding that
the aircraft will now be open to pilots anywhere between 102 and 245 pounds.
"We've done rigorous testing of all the new configurations, and it's clear that the combination of our lighter
helmet, the delay in the opening speed of the parachute and the cradling of the pilot's helmet with a head
support panel have significantly improved the safety of the seat."
The service is currently modifying its existing fleet of aircraft with a new lightweight seat switch, which
modifies the speed of parachute release depending on the pilot's weight, and a head support panel. It can
move 14 aircraft through the modification process per month, Pleus said. At that rate, the service will
finish retrofitting its current inventory of about 107 planes in around December or January.
The new lightweight helmets are currently in pre-production and will move into production this fall. To
reduce the weight from 5.1 to 4.6 pounds, Rockwell Collins has removed some of the strapping on the
inside of the helmet. Also, instead of wearing a clear visor and sun visor at the same time, pilots will
switch out their visors depending on the mission.
Both the seat and helmet modifications will need to be in place before a lightweight pilot can begin training
in the aircraft. The Air Force intends to place its first lightweight student in training by the end of 2017,
and they could begin flying as soon as 2018.
One question hovering around the F-35 program is whether the Air Force will decide to replace the Martin-
Baker ejection seat with another option. All variants of the joint strike fighter incorporate the US16E seat,
but the Air Force has different airworthiness restrictions than the other services, Pleus pointed out. So
while the Air Force imposed flight restrictions on its own pilots, the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps did not
raise similar concerns.
The Air Force made its first move away from the Martin-Baker seat last summer, when Lt. Gen. Arnold
Bunch, the service's top uniformed acquisition official, asked the F-35 joint program office to provide
details on the cost and schedule implications for qualifying United Technologies' ACES 5 seat.
The F-35 JPO never produced that information, but the Air Force is satisfied with the current pilot escape
solution and will not pursue the ACES 5, Bunch told reporters today.
"I was asked today, am I going to write a letter that will rescind the need to get additional information [on
ACES 5], and that currently is my plan," he said.
Martin-Baker applauded the Air Force's decision to lift weight restrictions. The first F-35 with a modified
ejection seat flew May 4, the company said in a news release.
"This has been the most scrutinized and intensively tested ejection seat in history. We are extremely
pleased that we have successfully met all the specified physiological head and neck load requirements as
demonstrated during the ejection seat test program," said James Martin, the company's CEO.
Pleus said he had briefed all F-35A pilots on the changes to the pilot escape system.
"I can assure you that they are confident stepping to their aircraft. I personally have flown in this seat and
believe with these modifications this is the safest seat I have ever had a chance to fly in," he said.
In its 2016 report, the Defense Department's independent testing office criticized the changes to the
helmet - specifically that the single visor left pilots having to swap equipment as weather or light
conditions changed. The report noted that there was no storage space onboard for the second visor, and
Pleus acknowledged that the Air Force was still working on a solution to that particular issue.
"We don't actually know what the size of that new single visor is going to be - in other words, how big of
space it's going to take up in the cockpit," he said. "As our test pilots continue to fly with these basic pre-
production helmets, they will continue to modify the tactics, techniques and procedures for where you're
going to put the external visor ... and we'll create some sort of a storage solution that removes any
opportunity for foreign object damage."
http://www.defensenews.com/articles/air-force-removes-weight-restrictions-on-f-35a-pilots
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Boeing picks St. Louis for potential jet plant
Boeing Co. said Monday it would assemble new U.S. Air Force trainer jets at its main military aircraft
facilities in Missouri if it wins a three-way contest for a program estimated by analysts to be worth around
$16 billion.
The move sets up the St. Louis plant in competition with facilities in Alabama and South Carolina run or
planned by Boeing's rivals in bidding to build an initial 350 T-X jets.
Boeing said winning the contest would support around 1,800 jobs, but didn't disclose if any new ones
would be created if it wins the contest due to be decided later this summer and assembles planes in the
St. Louis facility, where test aircraft have been built in partnership with Sweden's Saab AB.
The Boeing offering is the only "homegrown" entrant from prime defense contractors, with Lockheed
Martin Corp. offering a version of a plane developed by Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd, while Italy's
Leonardo SpA entered its own widely used trainer after dropping a planned joint bid with Raytheon Co.
The Pentagon requires the winner to assemble planes in the U.S., though parts are drawn from global
supply chains. Northrop Grumman Corp. pulled out of the contest earlier this year after designing an all-
new plane.
Boeing already builds its F-15 jet fighter and the F/A-18 aircraft widely used by the U.S. Navy in St. Louis,
and the T-X would help maintain experienced workers at the plants as orders become scarce.
The U.S. company has explored a potential move of the F-15 production line to India, to win a big combat
jet deal, and the extension of F/A-18 work hinges in part on Boeing securing overseas orders for the
planes.
Boeing's recent complaint against Bombardier Inc. over alleged predatory pricing of the CSeries passenger
jet has led some analysts to question whether it can hang on to a potential deal outlined last year to sell
18 F/A-18s to Canada, which has rejected the charges.
"Canada is also a natural customer for P-8 maritime patrol aircraft and many other Boeing military
products," said Richard Aboulafia at Teal Group in a client note. "Unless, that is, they start looking to
anybody but Boeing for their defense needs."
The International Trade Commission is due to hold an initial hearing on Boeing's complaint on May 18.
Boeing has identified winning the T-X contest as a priority after its joint bid with Lockheed to build a new
Air Force bomber lost out to Northrop. The plane flew for the first time in December.
Employment at Boeing facilities in Missouri had dipped to just under 14,000 by the end of Marchsecond
only to Washington state -- from around 16,000 a decade ago.
Lockheed would assemble the T-50A jet developed with Korea Aerospace for the T-X contest in Greenville,
S.C., where it also plans to shift production of its F-16 combat jet from Fort Worth.
Italy's Leonardo says it would build a plant in Tuskegee, Ala., for its offering and create 750 jobs if it wins
the Air Force contract.
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/boeing-picks-st-louis-for-potential-jet-plant-2017-05-15-12485159
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Aviation technologies to offer online bachelor's degree
CARBONDALE, Ill. - Southern Illinois University Carbondale this fall will offer an online bachelor's degree
specialization in aviation maintenance management.
The online program is for graduates of two-year aviation maintenance technician schools, avionics, and
other aviation-related programs who already are working in the field, and gives students an opportunity to
earn a bachelor's degree in aviation technologies, Karen Johnson, associate professor in the Department of
Aviation Technologies, said. Students will be able to use prior coursework from accredited institutions in
addition to work experience as required credit hours.
Classes will begin with the fall 2017 semester in August. It is possible, based on a student's own pace,
applicable credit hours, and work experience, to earn the bachelor's degree in one year, Johnson said.
The online offering is the first for aviation technologies and SIU's aviation program, Michael Burgener,
aviation technologies department chair, said. Aviation program faculty will teach the courses.
"This new program in aviation technologies will allow aircraft technicians working in industry to complete
their Bachelor's degree online while continuing in their careers," Burgener said. "They don't have to disrupt
their lives by leaving work and enrolling in a traditional university program."
Information on the program and courses is available online or by contacting Rachel Lee, academic adviser.
For additional information on the Department of Aviation Technologies program, visit their website.
http://news.siu.edu/2017/05/051517par17083.php
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Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award Nominations Invited
The Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Foundation and Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) are accepting
nominations for the 2017 Laura Taber Barbour Air Safety Award.
Presented since 1956, the honor recognizes notable achievement in method, design, invention, study or
other improvement in aviation safety. The award's recipient is selected for a "significant individual or group
effort contributing to improving aviation safety, with emphasis on original contributions," and a "significant
individual or group effort performed above and beyond normal responsibilities."
www.ltbaward.com
Nominations, which should include a one- to two-page narrative, can be submitted via the Laura Taber
Barbour Foundation website. Nominations will be accepted through June 14.
http://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-05-11/laura-taber-barbour-air-safety-
award-nominations-invited
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Research Survey
Dear Participants,
You are being requested to participate in a research study on risk. This study is expected to take
approximately 5 minutes of your time. In order to participate, you must be at least 18 years old and a
pilot. Participation in this study is voluntary, and you may choose to opt out of the study at any time. If
you choose to opt out before study completion, your data will be destroyed immediately. We appreciate
your consideration and time to complete our study.
Please click on or copy and paste the URL below:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeYQv1wQ7ti8p8uE6rjWsAsoTvRe23hvVCR4LSvJheUNMt72Q/viewform?usp=sf_link
For more information, please contact:
Dr. Stephen Rice
Stephen.rice2@erau.edu
We appreciate your interest and participation!
Dr. Stephen Rice, Associate Professor, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
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Graduate Research Survey
I am a pilot who is working on my master's degree at Embry-Riddle. To complete it I need to finish my
research project. If you are a FAA Part 121 air carrier pilot will you please take five minutes to complete
this survey. It only has six questions and you will be helping a fellow pilot. The survey asks four very basic
questions about fatigue and sleep. This survey has no relationship with any airline or with this group. I will
not know who took it, it is completely anonymous.
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FXRXFZ7
Thank You
Kevin Kilpatrick
Curt Lewis